Identity Crisis
by Pink Mouse
Summary: A different spin on the outcome of Anthy and Utena's run-in with curry... please review! ^.~
1. Role Reversal

Identity Crisis   
Chapter One: Role Reversal  
9-25-01  
AN: this is based on Curried High Trip, but I changed Saionji's lines (mostly because I don't remember word-for-word) and deleted the second explosion to make it work.  
  
"My whole life as Anthy!" moaned Utena.  
As the councilmembers discussed the possibility of the magic curry having nothing to do with Utena and Anthy's transformations, Saionji rapped on the window.  
"Anthy, why have you become so harsh, and rude? Your most recent entry n our journal is not what you really feel--why do you try to decieve me like this? I want you to rewrite our exchange journal properly and this time declare your undying love for me! We were MADE for each other!"  
Saionji paused, then turned to the girl who appeared to be Utena.  
"And as for you, you crude tomboy, I challenge you to a Duel. You have corrupted my sweet Anthy's heart, and I cannot forgive you! I will win Anthy back from you, because we are destined to be together. She and the sword are mine!"  
A demonic light flashed in his eyes, and as he walked away, Utena-who-looked-like-Anthy turned to Miki and Nanami. "So which of us fights him?"  
"You cannot. The Rose Bride cannot fight in a Duel. Miss Himemeya, you are Miss Tenjou for the time being. You must fight in the Duel against Saionji."  
"M-me? I cannot fight! I do not know the theory."  
Utena sat quietly, green eyes glazed over, while Miki and Nanami tried to reason with Anthy.  
"You have been challenged to a Duel! You must accept."  
"I cannot!" She shook her head and Utena's pink mane swished around her neck.  
"Then who can? Not Miss Tenjou. She is the Rose Bride now," pleaded Miki, punctuating his comments with a stopwatch click.  
Utena turned to Nanami. "Can I do it?"  
"What do you mean? He just said the Rose Bride can't Duel!" protested Nanami, cocking her head at Utena.  
"No, not Dueling...I am in Anthy's body, but do I have the power to produce the Sword of Dios for her?"  
"I don't know. Maybe big brother could tell you...he knows so much!"  
"She should be able to do it."  
Nanami's head whipped around. "Big brother!"  
Touga ignored her. "Utena."  
The girl who outwardly was Anthy raised her gaze.  
"You are the Rose Bride. You will summon the Sword of Dios. Anthy-" and the girl who appeared to be Utena looked up "-you will fight Saionji tomorrow in the Arena. I will show you what you need to do to win against him."  
"Touga..." Utena began.  
"If you lose, Anthy, Utena will be the one owned by Saionji." Touga's eyes shone, even through his curtain of crimson hair.  
Anthy's eyes widened. An image of Utena, in Anthy's body, being slapped by Saionji...being harassed by Saionji...being...  
{NO!} she told herself. {I may have to endure Saionji's mistreatment, but Miss Utena shouldn't have to!}   
She looked at Utena. "I WILL win your Duel for you, Miss Utena."   
Turning to Touga: "Teach me."  
For a millisecond--not even that--Touga was taken aback by Anthy's forwardness. But he did not show even the slightest indication of this.   
"All right. Tomorrow afternoon, in the kendo room, I'll teach you."  
Anthy heard Touga's words and comprehended them, through a muffling fog, though only slightly. She was busy mulling over her actions.   
{I was so forward,} she mused. {I have never been that confident. I felt...noble. Is that the word? 'Noble'...I just know I must protect Miss Utena. I must win her Duel, in order that I may stay her Bride. But...why must I stay her Bride? Why do I feel so strongly? I am the Rose Bride...I am Miss Utena's Bride now, and I can be someone else's...but I must stay Miss Utena's Bride. I just Must.}  
"And as for me? What do I do?"  
"You, Utena Tenjou, are the Rose Bride. That is all," Touga said decisively.  
"I can't sit around while Anthy has to fight MY battle for me!"  
"But you must," the elder Kiryuu insisted, and Utena could tell the subject was closed.  
{Of course I must,} she though. {What was I thinking? Mister Touga is right, I AM the Rose bride. Of course I can't fight...}  
||wait,|| a meek-voiced corner of her mind called. ||am i the rose bride? i'm not, i'm utena! i'm utena tenjou, i'm not the rose bride...||   
{But...I AM the Rose Bride...I am Anthy, and she is the Rose Bride. So for now I am the Rose Bride...just for now I am.}  
Trying to sort through these conflicting voices, Utena kept a placid expression on Anthy's face. She knew fighting Touga was a losing battle. And there was no point in distressing Anthy. So Utena placed a look of resignation on her face and turned to her bride. Anthy saw her Prince reflected in her own eyes.  
"Let's go to bed, Anthy. You have a big day tomorrow."  
Utena's eyes smiled. "You have a big day, too, Miss Utena."  
Utena wanted to respond with a wry smile, but didn't trust Anthy's face to be capable of such an expression. Fearing a sour face if she attempted a wry one, Utena contented herself with the thought, {At least I'll finally know how Anthy feels with that SWORD in her...} 


	2. Council

Identity Crisis   
Chapter Two: Council  
9-25-01  
AN: this is based on Curried High Trip  
  
"...for the Revolution of the World!"  
"Ends of the World sent a new letter. Due to the UNUSUAL circumstances surrounding the Bride and her Prince, Ends of the World have chosen Anthy as a Duellist."  
"Never!" Miki scratched away furiously at his notepad as a series of rapid, successive clicks issued from his stopwatch.  
"Obvious is why. Not obvious is how." Juri narrowly glared at her president.  
"Ends of the World writes nothing concerning that."  
"Convenient." A click, a scribble.  
A hand run through her hair, a shake of the head. "No. Unanswerable. Does it even follow their rules? Can they tell us how without becoming hypocrites?" Juri accused.  
"At any rate, the Bride will Duel for her Prince in her Prince's body. Ends of the World writes that Anthy MUST be victorious and thus win herself as Utena's bride. We are to aid her."  
"Does Ends of the World pick favorites?" Miki queried.  
"Ends of the World picks the Bride and Prince. You know that."  
"Fifty-four seconds, twenty-one."  
"But is the Prince maintained because they are favored?"  
"What are you implying, Arisugawa?" and a click.  
"Is Tenjou winning Duels because the odds are stacked for her or does she actually deserve the Power?"  
"Dios' power was manifested in her," smiled Touga.  
"I cannot believe that an ethereal god came down to aid that pink-haired tomboy princess!" Juri brought her fist down on the table.  
"But she is a prince, not a princess, and the Prince," countered Miki.  
"Correct, Kaoru. But you forget her real identity," murmured Touga.  
"Three seconds twenty-nine. Which would be?"  
"Is it ours to judge? Utena is Prince, Anthy is Bride, and Ends of the World tells us to ensure their engagement, at least for this Duel." Touga stood. "And that is what I go to do now."  
"The day I get a straight answer out of him," muttered Juri, watching as the student council president glided across the ballroom to the elevator.  
"I wonder..." and a click. 


	3. Training

Identity Crisis   
Chapter Three: Training  
9-25-01  
AN: this is based on Curried High Trip  
  
"Saionji is relatively easy to beat in a duel, but in a Duel, he will fight more strongly, reflecting the strength of his convictions and his love for you. But I'm putting the cart before the horse. First we must teach you basic strategies." Touga pulled a practice sword out of the rack and turned back to Utena-who-was-Anthy. "Hold the sword in front of you, loosely but firmly; keep your hands spread just a little, and use you thumbs and wrists to direct the blade." He handed it to her. Tentatively, Anthy curled Utena's long, slender fingers around the handle of the bokken. Though the weight was not great, she had no sense of the balance of the weapon and its tip dipped as she gripped it tightly. Touga looked at her knuckles, slightly white from her overzealous effort, and tsked.  
"No, no. You're trying too hard. Here...like this." Touga walked around behind Anthy in Utena's body and wrapped his arms around her, holding her slender hands beneath his own long fingers on the handle of the sword. "Like this," and he brought her hands up over her head. Holding them there with one hand, he moved her elbows into position with the other. "Now, as you bring your arms down, push out with your elbows, and let your wrists snap forward. Now, with me..." Both hands in place over hers once more, he guided her arms down with a smooth motion, pushing her elbows in with his own.  
Anthy let out a little sound as the fluidity of the motion triggered something in Utena's body, some instinct which remained even when the fighter's mind was gone.  
{Does Miss Utena feel this every time she fights? It is such a strange sensation...like an electrical pulse.}  
"Again," Touga commanded, and once again the sword came softly down. Another time, and another, and still another. It became a rhythm, a metronome swish of air around the gracefully moving bokken. After a while, Touga quickly lifted his hands off of Utena's and backed away, watching smugly as Anthy maintained her rhythm. Slowly she became aware of the fact that Touga was not guiding her hands. The rhythm faltered, and wide-eyed she looked around for her tutor.  
"Don't stop. Keep going, Anthy."  
"Yes, Master Touga." She rescued the rhythmic motion before it was lost and continued the movement, a bit less smoothly now but with just as much heart.  
After a few minutes, Touga came forward once more. "Now, Anthy, you must learn to thrust." Pulling a second blade from the rack, he held it in front of himself and faced the girl who appeared to be Utena. "Stand beside me."  
Anthy, who had interrupted her swing to listen to Touga, regripped her sword and moved to stand next to her tutor.  
"First watch me, then move with me. When you thrust at your opponent you must put your entire soul and body into the one motion of driving your arm and your sword. Your sword must be an extension of your arm, and you must keep your arm straight, strong, and true if you are to be victorious. You cannot flinch. Insecurity means failure. Now watch me." Touga suddenly was a red blur thrown forward and just as abruptly halted. When he froze his sword was extended perfectly horizontally in front of him. One leg was stretched out behind him and from swordtip to toe he formed a perfect sculpture that somehow still seemed to be moving. A moment later he broke the spell and stood, and as he turned to face Anthy his hair positively gleamed. "Now we'll try together."  
"Mister Touga, I could not follow you quickly enough. I did not see how to do it. I am truly sorry." Anthy lowered Utena's head in shame that had no cause.  
Touga smiled slowly as he returned to her side. "I apologize. I will do it again, slower this time." His fingers ran through her hair, and it fell as water through them. "Move with me, as in a dance."  
The pair slowly went through the thrust, moving in unison until they were both posed as sculptures with swords outstretched.  
Anthy lifted Utena's blue eyes to Touga's face. "I can feel Miss Utena's body remembering how to do this."  
"Good. That may help. But you must learn for yourself. Now let us do it again, a little faster this time."  
"Yes, Mister Touga." 


	4. Battle

Identity Crisis   
Chapter Four: Battle  
9-25-01  
AN: this is based on Curried High Trip  
  
Anthy-who-was-Utena lifted her gaze to her prince's as the real Anthy cleared the last step of the spiraling staircase. Smiling slowly, she stretched her palm out to her prince and gently, softly joined hands with her. The rite moved as it always did, and the players as well, Utena leading the Bride toward the challenger. When Utena and Saionji were in the accustomed positions, Anthy approached them with the roses. Slowly she spun, placing a green rose on Saionji's breast and a white one on Utena's.  
  
{So far, so good,} Utena-the-Bride thought.  
  
Standing before the prince, Anthy began to recite her prayer.  
  
"Rose of the noble castle, Power of Dios that sleeps within me: Heed your master and come forth!" Utena felt herself go limp as the bead of light in front of her grew. As she fell back into Utena-who-was-Anthy's arms, a cold sensation ran in a line from a point in the small of her back to the middle of her bust.  
  
The prince watched her Bride go limp and caught her as she fell. Utena's long pink hair floated in great soft sheets as Anthy cradled the Bride.  
  
{Miss Utena!}  
  
{Here we go,} Utena thought, and as Anthy tightened Utena's slender arm around her, Utena felt the cold become hard and come shooting out of her chest.  
  
{It doesn't hurt...it just feels odd...} she mused.  
Anthy gripped the handle of the Sword of Dios and drew it forth, finishing the prayer: "Grant me the power to bring the world Revolution!" Light slid down the blade, and into Utena's signet ring.  
  
'Utena' turned to face Saionji. He was already charging at her, sword held high above his head, a possessed expression on his face. Startled, Anthy took a half-step backwards and barely brought her sword up in time to block Saionji's attack. The blades grated, Saionji's sliding down the length of the Sword of Dios to rest on the hilt. The tip of the blade now extended past Anthy's ear.  
  
Anthy shoved, hard, against Saionji's hilt with her own, and sloppily sent his blade reeling away from her head. However, because she didn't drive the blade down as she turned it away, Saionji was able to quickly bring it up again for another blow. This time, her blade stabbed downward, and the tip slid parallel to the hilt of Saionji's kendo sword. With a laugh that can only be described as maniacal, Saionji gave a fast twist to the handle of his sword, and Anthy had hardly blinked in shock before the guard of the Sword of Dios cleared Utena's fingertips and the weapon was flung across the ring. She drew breath in so fast it squeaked as Saionji deftly turned his sword from battle tool to murder weapon by leveling the point at the heaving throat of Utena Tenjou. All of Touga's training had apparently been for naught, for Utena's body and Anthy's soul were now facing extermination by cold steel at the hands of a lust-crazed student council vice president.  
  
Utena, in the body of her Bride, watched as Anthy twice was taken by surprise, twice mishandled her blade, and now allowed her knees to melt as Saionji's blade pressed her farther and farther down, until she was kneeling, until she was flat on her back, legs still bent under her, blue eyes opened wide, pink hair pillowing her head on the cement of the duelling arena. Tears sprung to Anthy's eyes as Utena watched, and it was all she could do to keep herself from shouting the truth to Saionji, anything to make him stop, just don't kill her, don't! It's not me, try and kill me if you want, but wait until it's actually me, you chauvinistic pig, get away from her--and as blood trickled into the delicate well at the base of Anthy's white throat, Utena found she couldn't stay quiet any longer.  
  
"DON'T KILL MY ANTHY!" The phrase ripped from her throat, in a hoarse, gutteral scream, the likes of which had never issued from the delicate soul of the rose princess whose lips now formed the words. Saionji turned to the source of the scream, and as his face blanched, seriously considered screaming himself.  
  
***  
AN: What do you think so far? Please review--it's so hard to know how to proceed with no feedback! I didn't expect it to go this direction, but it looks as if the story is taking over its future! All I do is type it... Only a couple more chapters to go, I think! 


	5. Transfiguration

Identity Crisis   
Chapter Five: Transfiguration  
4-4-02  
  
  
"DON'T KILL MY ANTHY!"  
  
In disbelief, Saionji turned to face the Rose Bride, gentle Anthy Himemiya, who was looking less and less gentle every second. Rage enveloped the slight figure, as evidenced by the depth and shine of her green eyes. Her slim hands, clenched into fists, dripped minuscule streams of blood from puncture wounds made by their perfectly manicured nails. Her shoulders seemed to roll forward as her anger washed over him, and though she did not take one step from the edge of the duelling ring, Saionji had the distinct impression that Anthy was towering over him. She opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"Get that filthy blade away from my Anthy's neck, you chauvinist pig! I'm the one you want!"  
  
Without moving his gleaming swordpoint from Anthy's neck, Saionji turned to the Bride. "What? Anthy? Are YOU conspiring against me, too? This--this--TOMBOY has turned you against me, hasn't she? She's corrupted your beautiful mind, your sweet voice!" Saionji turned slowly, purposefully, back to where his enemy lay. "I won't let her confuse you any more!" Saionji stepped forward, putting his feet on both sides of Utena's hips, and staring straight down at his prey. His mouth twisted in a small smile as he regripped the blade and rotated it a quarter-turn. Anthy let a small sound slip from between Utena's thin, tight lips as more blood flowed, overflowing the well of Utena's throat and running thickly down between her breasts, quickly over her jutting collarbone to stain the back of her jacket collar.  
  
"STOP IT, SAIONJI!" Another scream tore out of the fragile body of the Rose Bride, and a burst of power with it, so strong that Saionji turned, slicing across the left side of Utena's neck as he swung his sword around to face whatever threat was imminent. Anthy's hair flew out of its bun, her glasses shattered, and her skirt billowed in an unfelt draft of wind. Her hands unclenched, and as blood flowed freely from the wounds she held them above her, palms turned up, as if to receive an offering from the god.  
  
Utena, within Anthy's body, was oblivious to all this except her upstretched hands, and her internal plea. Instantaneously it was answered. She felt a new presence entering the Rose Bride's heart as she was pulled out of the princess's body. With a snap similar to that induced by the curry, Utena found herself in her own form once more, and as the pain from her wounded throat assailed her, she squeezed her eyes shut tight and called on the god a second time.  
  
Anthy felt her throat's pain cease, and for a minute believed Utena had called a healing spirit upon all three beings upon the battlefield. But she quickly noticed that the pain had simply relocated to her palms, and realized that the effects of her disastrous cooking had been reversed. No relief followed this revelation; all-encompassing panic for Utena's life trampled her joy almost immediately. She looked to where Utena lay, assumedly still pinned under Saionji's sword--  
  
Saionji turned from the Rose Bride momentarily. "Just a quick slash and Utena Tenjou leaves my life forever!" He focused his eyes on the girl below him, and this time he let himself scream.  
  
Utena felt the presence inside her growing, and urged it on with pangs from her heart hurried by pain in her throat. She gave her conscious mind completely over to the god and opened her eyes.  
  
Saionji did not have time to even draw breath before Dios moved. Stretched out on the ground between Saionji's legs, with the kendo sword poised to drop on him, Dios calmly opened his right hand and his Sword was in it in a second. And then he floated. Flickering, Dios lifted himself to a standing position in front of Saionji, shoulders limp, head turned down, sword hanging limply from his hand. Pink-purple-pink-purple-pink-purple as the head lifted, as the soft, gentle bangs lifted, as the languid, bottomless eyes lifted and met Saionji's with their almost apathetic gaze, and then the frame became a missile, a javelin, a beam of lavender light as the sword was up the knee was straight the wrists were tensed the head was cocked the blade was THROUGH the bloom on Saionji's chest and past and the warrior stood and turned to face its crumpling, defeated foe, and the lavender hair, white cloak, and chivalrous verdant eyes with their thick long lashes slowly lifted and faded away, leaving a bleeding, tired girl with hair the color of the Othori dawn.  
  
Utena's legs folded under her as the spirit of the god lifted from her body, and the pain emanating from her throat repossessed her. Anthy ran to her, the prince's security far outweighing concerns of the legalese of the battle or comfort to the defeated, her hands spotting the crimson skirt a deeper, malicious shade of red, pulling out a small white handkerchief to cover Utena's wound as she came. The pink monogram in its corner, the same shade of rose as Utena Tenjou's hair, blended with the blood that slowly soaked said handkerchief as the Rose Bride weakly led Utena past a crushed Saionji and down the steps of the Duelling Arena.  
  
  
AN: What do you think? I_think_I'm done. Should I keep going? Call it quits? Burn what I've got so far? Tell me! 


End file.
